Ashes to Ashes: Feeding the Fires of War! is a first-person action shooter published for Windows in 1996 by Corel and ARI Data CD, and developed by Deep River Publishing. Emerging during the second wave of games that followed the success of *Doom*, *Duke Nukem 3D*, and *Quake*, it offers a sci-fi vision defined by direct combat, open environments, and still-experimental 3D technology.
The game places the player in a distant future where global conflicts have evolved into full-blown war spectacles. As a lone soldier, you must navigate vast battlefields and confront mercenaries and hostile forces across diverse landscapes—ranging from deserts, swamps, valleys, and plateaus to lunar-like terrain. The story serves primarily as a backdrop for the action; the core objective is to advance, survive, and eliminate anything standing in your way.
The campaign is structured across 50 levels distributed among eight environments. In each stage, you must...
Ashes to Ashes: Feeding the Fires of War! is a first-person action shooter published for Windows in 1996 by Corel and ARI Data CD, and developed by Deep River Publishing. Emerging during the second wave of games that followed the success of *Doom*, *Duke Nukem 3D*, and *Quake*, it offers a sci-fi vision defined by direct combat, open environments, and still-experimental 3D technology.
The game places the player in a distant future where global conflicts have evolved into full-blown war spectacles. As a lone soldier, you must navigate vast battlefields and confront mercenaries and hostile forces across diverse landscapes—ranging from deserts, swamps, valleys, and plateaus to lunar-like terrain. The story serves primarily as a backdrop for the action; the core objective is to advance, survive, and eliminate anything standing in your way.
The campaign is structured across 50 levels distributed among eight environments. In each stage, you must locate and destroy enemies while also completing objectives that involve collecting items described as "evil brains." The absence of complex puzzles keeps the pacing focused on exploration and firefights, with maps that encourage seeking out advantageous positions and studying the terrain before launching an attack.
One of the game's most striking features is the inclusion of dynamic terrain within expansive outdoor environments. Slopes, ravines, and changes in elevation are not merely decorative; they impact visibility and influence how you approach each engagement. The arsenal is complemented by various controllable vehicles and devices, including turrets, tanks, scout pods, flying cycles, and other combat machines. Mechanized armor capable of boosting firepower also appears, as do heavy vehicles that allow players to run over infantry—though these can just as easily become a threat if they fall into enemy hands.
The game employs a technical approach based on 2.5D graphics with animated sprites—a common method in mid-90s shooters that allowed for expansive environments without yet relying on a fully polygonal engine. The result holds clear historical interest, even if its animations, sound effects, and controls may feel limited compared to contemporary titles. Ultimately, *Ashes to Ashes* is a fascinating piece of PC gaming history: an action-focused single-player title—lacking a notable multiplayer campaign—that seeks to stand out through its open landscapes, vehicles, and a combat scale that was uncommon for its time.
